Cleaner Air in Dallas-Fort Worth
TXU is continuing to help clean the air in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. At the end of 2004, the company had cut its NOx emission rate in the area by almost 90% from 1997 levels. With these cuts, TXU met state-mandated NOx rate reductions for mid-2005 about six months early. A combination of clean-air equipment and operational changes has lowered the emission rate. For example, power plants in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are now operated only during periods of peak demand. Installation of equipment such as a selective catalytic reduction unit at the Lake Hubbard plant in Dallas is reducing that facility’s NOx emissions by more than 90%.

SO2 Progress Continues
While TXU’s NOx and CO2 emission rates continue below the national average, 2003 was the first year since monitoring began in the mid-1990s that the company’s SO2 emission rate was higher. While TXU’s actual SO2 emissions have continued to decrease, national emission rate reductions have caught up with TXU’s own rate reductions. Between 1990 and 2004, TXU reduced SO2 emission rates from its fossil-fueled power plants by 13%. Over that same period, the company reduced its actual SO2 emissions by 21%. This progress has been achieved through use of low-sulfur fuel and improved operation of scrubbers on the majority of the lignite coal units.

Regulatory Compliance
TXU’s regulatory compliance rate for air quality was 99.1% in 2004. While many factors contribute to this success, front-line plant managers, engineers and operators are charged with responsibility and accountability for meeting all relevant local, state and federal air quality standards. Air quality is a serious and time-consuming business, and TXU employees work to make sure the company excels in air quality compliance.